Air cooling and washing fan



J ne 18,1929, w, ARQWE 1,717,412 AIR COOLING AND WASHING FAN Filed NOV.21, 1923 4 Shet5-Sheet l ame /we;

d/z/ I Z W 82 June 18, 1929. v w, RQWE AIR COOLING AND WASHING FAN 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 21, 1923 June 18, 1929. w.'A. ROWE 1 AIRCOOLING AND WASHING FAN Filed Ndv. 21, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 18,1929. W. A. ROWE AIR COOLING AND WASHING FAN Filed Nov. '21, 1923 4Sheets-Sheet 4 jvwemtoz:

Patented June 18, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. ROWE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO AMERICAN BLOWER CORPORATION or DELAWARE;

Application filed November fan and more particularly to such a fan inwhich the air is purified and humidified by forcible contact with waterduring the rotation of the fanwhich has a filtering ring of severallayers of wire screening and blades which propel the air and act as aneliminator.

The principal object of the invention consists in" providing a fan madeup of a relatively small number of parts so connected as to form a fanof great strength and of somewhat lighter weight than those fans nowcommonly in use.

Another object resides in forming the blades in a novel manner andconnecting them to the back plate of the fan by the application of heatto cause cohesion of the parts, such cohesion being caused by welding,brazing, soldering or similar means, the construction and manner ofconnecting to the back plate providing a water. tight fan andeliminating leakage between the ends of the blades and the sideplates'as would be caused if bolts, rivets or similar fasteners wereused.

- With the above and other objects in view,

which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists inthe novel details of construction and arrangement of parts described inthe following specification and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and while I have illustrated and described the preferredembodiments of the invention, as they now appear tov me, it will beunderstood that such changes may be made as will fall within the scopeof the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section with parts shown in elevation.

Fig.3 is a horizontal shown in plan.

Fig'. 4 is a plan of the blank from which the fan blades are formed.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of one of the fan blades, and

Fig. 6 is an end view of one of the fan blades. p

Fig. 7 is a detail front elevation of the fan a wheel with parts brokenaway, some of the blades of the wheel being shown in section.

Fig. 8 is a detail view on an enlarged scale section with parts OFDETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION AIR COOLING AND WASHING. FAN.

21, 1928. Serial No. 676,050.

the pipes for i the inlet opening 2 in one side thereof and I the outletopening 3, at the top, and at right angles to the inlet. Forming a partof the casing are the standards 4 which support the cross bars 5 of thecasing, said cross bars having the bearings 6 secured thereto. A shaft 7extends through the casing and is supported in the bearings as shown, apulley 8 being connected to one end of the shaft to receive a belt orother suitable driving connection.

Mounted on the shaft 7 within the casing 1 is a fan wheel 9, said fanwheel being fixed to said shaft to rotate therewith. The back plate 11has an opening 13 which registers with the machined hub. Secured to theinner face of the back plate 11 is an angle iron ring 14 for holding inplacethe filtering screens 15. An end ring 16 forms the opposite orinlet side of the wheel and is secured to the back plate by means of theblades 17, the ends of which are secured to the plate by the applicationof heat such as in welding, brazing or soldering to cause cohesion ofthe parts and to the ring 16 by bolts, rivets or other suitable means. 1

As shown the blades are circumferentially spaced and arrangedat an angleso that the outer edge of one blade overlaps the inner edge oftheadjacent blade. Each blade is formed from a blank of metal one end ofwhich is bent at right angles as shown at 18 to form a flange forbolting to the end ring 16, the opposite end being-straight and aspreviously described will be connected to the back plate 11 by theapplication of heat. The inner edges of the blades are bentat rightangles as shown at 19 and the outer edges are bent to form the troughs20, said troughs being inclined longitudinally so as to dlrect water,which is accumulated in the trough, to run towards the end ring 16 intoiron strip, forming a support-forthe filtering screens 15 which arearranged just under the blades 17, these filtering screens preferablybeing made up of a plurality of layers of wire mesh and may or may nothave filtering material arranged therebetween.

Water is sprayed into the fan wheel against the filtering screens andthis water is supplied in the manner to be described. The

into the tank 28' and leading from the pipe 29 is a pipe 30 which inturn is connected to a pipe 31 having the valve 32 at the lower end. Apipe 33 leads from the valved end of the pipe 31 to the-pipe 34, theupper end of this pipe 34 extending" into the tank 28' and the lower endbeing connected to'the drain pipe 35. A branch pipe 36 leads from thepipe 34,

., below the tank, and in turn is connected to the outlet 37 from thetank. A valve 38 controls the flow of" water from the tank to the pipes36 and 34. Connected to'the pipe 31 is a pipe 39 which is provided withthe branches 40 and 41 which are provided respectively with the nozzles42 and 43 which direct the water, as shown, to the filtering screens.Leading from the pipe 39, with its outer end received in the collectorring 21, is

a skimmer 44 which gathers the water from the collector ring anddelivers it to the branches 40 and 41 and their nozzles 42 and 43respectively. In starting the fan the valves 32 and 38 will be closedand the valve 25 opened to admit. water to the pipe 24. This water flowsto the pipe 28 and is collected. in the collector ring 21. Aftersuflicientwater is supplied the skimmer 44 will gather the water fromthe collector ring and it will be discharged through the pipes 40 and 41and their nozzles towards the filtering If too much water accumulates itpasses up through the pipes 31 and 30 and down the pipe 29 into the tank28. The float 27 will raise and cut off the supply of water through thepipe 24 to the pipe 28.

Surplus waterwill over-flow from the tank 28 into the pipes 34 and 35,.the latter pipebeing connected with a suitable drain pipe (not shown).With the new supply 'of water out off the old water will be circulatedbut when the float again lowers the water inlet will be again opened. Instopping the fan the valve 25 will be closed and the valves 32 and 38opened to drain.

From the above description it is thought that the construction of my fanwill be understood and I will now endeavor to more fully bring out theoperation and advantages. The

fan is rotated through means of the pulley 8 and shaft 7 and as itrotates it draw-s in air through the opening 2 in the casing 1 anddischarges it through the filter screens 15, blades 17 and the dischargeopening 3 in the casing,the blades acting to propel the air through thedischarge opening. Water is supplied in the manner previously describedahddischarged through the nozzles 42 and 43 against the inner surface ofthe filtering screens through which it passes and is thrown bycentrifugal forceand is caught in the troughs 20 of the blades. Thetroughs, 20 being inclined as shown, towards the outer end-ring 16 ofthe fan, discharge the water into the collector ring 21 from which it isdrawn by the skimmer 44. It will be seen that the same water may be usedover a number of times and the new supply of water may be automaticallycut off when too. much water is supplied and again turned on when thewater gets low. I

I wish to lay particular stress upon the advantages of having the bladessecured to the back plate 11 by the application of heat to causecohesion of the'parts. By connecting the blades to the back plate in themanner described I may do away with the perforated plate or cylinder nowgenerally used in fans of this character which perforated cylinder comesbetween the blades and filtering screens and is required to support thering 16 from the back plate 11. At -the same time the blades areconnected to the back plate without the use of bolts, rivets or the likeand there will be no holes for leakage but a water tight joint isprovided. I therefore reduce the cost of manufacture and weight but atthe same time add strength. Also by welding a water tight joint isprovided and no water.

can leak between the ends of the blades and back plate. Also eliminatingthe resistance due to the presence of the perforated cylinder givesincreased capacity and efliciency.

Where I have used the term welding in the appended claims I do so in thebroadest sense to cover the connecting of the blades to their associatedpart by the application of heat in any manner such as by brazing tocause a cohesion of the parts. I

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and'desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: u

1. An air humidifying and washing fan includinga rotary membercomprising a back plate having a supporting hub part, and an end ringand peripheral blades supported bythe back plate, each of said bladesbeing in the form of a single metal strip and comat its inner marginalportiondisposed at an angle said main flat strip part and at one prisinga main flat strip part with a flange.

side thereof, and with an outer marginal angular trough portionrdisposed at an angle to the mainstrip part at the side thereofopposite the side at which said flange extends,

and means for introducing a liquid into the zone of rotation of theblades.

2. An air humidifying and washing fan including a rotary membercomprising a back plate having a hub part, and an end ring andperipheral blades supported by the back plate, each of said blades beingin the form of a single metal strip and comprising a main flat strippart with a flange at its inner marginal portion disposed at an angle tosaid main flat strip part and at one side thereof, and with an outermarginal portion bent inwardly at an an le to the main strip part andthen outwardly at an angle to form a trough, and means for introducing aliquid into the zone of rotation of the blades.

3. An air humidifying and washing fan including a rotary membercomprising a back plate having a supporting hub part, an end ring,peripheral blades connecting the end ring and back plate, the bladeshaving longitudinally extending trough portions inclined outwardlytowards the end ring. and a filtering screen arranged inwardly of saidblades, said blades being secured to the back plate by welding and meansfor spraying a liquid onto the filtering screen. i

4. An air humidifying and washing fan including a rotary membercomprising a back plate, an end. ring, peripheral blades con necting thebackplate and end ring, and a collector ring secured-to one of the lastmentioned parts, the blades having longitudinally extending troughportions inclined towards the collector ring, and the ends of the bladesremoved from the collector ring being secured to the part, directlyassociated therewith by welding and means for introducing a liquid intothe zone of rotation of the blades.

5. An air humidifying and washing fan including a rotary membercomprising a back plate having a supporting hub part, an end ring,peripheral blades connecting the end ring and back plate, a filteringscreen arranged inwardly of the blades, and means for spraying a liquidonto the filtering screen, said blades having longitudinally extendingtrough portions for conducting water off to that end of the rotarymember at which the end ring is located, and said blades being securedto the back plate by the application of heat to effect cohesion of theseparts and provide a water tight joint therebetween.

6. An air humidifying and washing fan including a rotary membercomprising a back plate, an end ring, peripheral blades connecting theback plate'and end ring, a collector ring secured to one of-the lastmentioned parts, a filtering screen arranged inwardly of the blades, andmeansfor spraying a liquid onto the filtering screen, said blades havinglongitudinally extending trough portions to conduct water off to saidcollector ring, and the ends of said blades removed from the collector,ring being secured to the part directl associated therewith by theapplication of heat to efl'ect cohesion of these parts and provide awatertight joint thereetween'.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

WILL AM- A, ROWE.

